Scandalizing Berry
by RainbowBrite64
Summary: Puck realized that scandalizing Rachel Berry was quickly becoming his favorite hobby." Rated M for safety, but won't contain anything too crazy.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

**Things to Know:** For the purposes of this story, Puck and Rachel never dated. Quinn is pregnant with Finn's child and they are happily together. Finn and Rachel are not interested in each other. Also, Puck is not in Glee.

* * *

While Puck typically spent math class in the nurse's office, he spent history class hanging out under the bleachers. Every once in awhile though, his mother's voice crept into his head asking him why he was throwing his future away. So, he would attend one class and then the voice would go away and things would be back to normal. Today, history was the chosen class. He entered the classroom ten minutes late to the sarcastic greeting of his teacher.

"Mr. Puckerman, thank you for gracing us with your presence today. How fortunate for you that we are picking partners for the project that will take up the remainder of the semester and be worth half your grade. I pity the person who sadly ends up partnered with…."

All of a sudden, a voice interrupted from the back of the room. Rachel Berry announced, "I will be Puck's partner for this project."

The teacher looked at Rachel with curiosity. "That will be fine, Ms. Berry, though I question why you're attempting academic suicide."

Rachel spoke with unquestionable certainty. "I am confident that Puck and I will be successful in our endeavor."

Puck plopped down in his chair and though he barely spared a glance at Rachel, his mind was occupied with thoughts as to why the girl who he slushied on a semi-regular basis would request him as a partner for such an important assignment.

He approached her after class to ask her that question, albeit in his usual inappropriate manner.

"So Berry, what's with your eagerness to work with me on this project? Hoping to spend some quality time with my hot body?"

"This project is very important, Puck. It's worth half our grade and I know that you are failing. As you may have noticed, Quinn Fabray and I have recently initiated a friendship and she has shared with me her concerns about your academic record."

Puck had indeed noticed. It was difficult to not notice the former reigning Queen of the school befriending the Gleek. Quinn and Finn had discovered her pregnancy shortly after they both joined Glee. Rachel and the other Glee members had been some of the only few people in the school to not ostracize them. Rachel in particular had forgiven Quinn's former treatment of her and this had forged a friendship between them.

"Finn is greatly concerned about you and since Finn is concerned, Quinn is concerned. And strange as it may seem considering our past, since Quinn is concerned, I'm concerned."

"Whatever, Berry. I'm not stupid."

"Of course you're not!"

Rachel said this with such genuine certainty that it took Puck aback. He assumed that everyone just figured he was stupid and that was why he didn't do well in school.

He said more softly, "I'm not a charity case either."

"This isn't charity, Puck. Besides, there is no shame in asking for help."

"Whatever, fine, it's not like I have a choice."

"Excellent. However, you will be an active partner in this assignment. I am expecting your full participation."

"I am always a _very_ active partner, Berry."

Rachel just looked at him with confusion.

"Okay, fine, Berry, we're partners. Good luck…I know it will be difficult for you."

"I'm confident it will not. You are an intelligent person who just needs some assistance applying yourself."

Puck smirked and sauntered away, responding, "I meant it would be difficult for you to not jump my hot bones every time we meet."

Just as he was turning his head away, he noticed a deep crimson blush come across Rachel's face and couldn't help but wonder if this project would be more fun than he expected.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days had passed since the history project was first assigned and while Rachel had already begun working on it, she had not yet been able to get Puck involved. She was finally able to corner him in the hallway and convince him to join her in the library during her free period.

"Since you weren't there when Mr. Johnson explained the assignment, I went ahead and typed out a detailed description for you. Basically, we need to pick a time in history and compose a detailed paper describing everything about the time period, like customs, social norms, food, clothing, gender roles, daily activities, class divisions, literature, music, and etcetera. We also need to come up with a creative component of the assignment in which we present some aspect of the time period in an imaginative manner. Since I am a fan of Jane Austen, I was thinking it might be fun to choose late 18th/early 19th century England."

Rachel looked down and saw that throughout her entire speech, Puck had been drawing a picture. Looking closer, she saw though he was obviously quite talented at drawing, it was rather inappropriate as there was nudity depicted. Looking even closer, she saw that the subject of the picture was her! She grabbed the paper and crumpled it.

"The way I see this, we're going to be stuck together for the rest of the semester, so I think we should make the best of it. I know that I could do this project on my own, but I would appreciate your participation. I know you're intelligent, Puck, and I really think you can make some positive contributions."

It was strange for Puck to hear someone actually talk about him like he had potential. He knew Rachel didn't have to get stuck with him as a partner and figured he should at least attempt to make an effort.

After a long pause, Puck finally spoke. "Okay, I'm sorry. I promise I will try to make an effort."

"Great. Well I've taken a lot of initial notes from sources. Can I come by your house to bring you copies this afternoon, after your football practice? You live on Willow, right?"

"Yea, that's fine. I'll be home by 4:45. My mom will let you in if I'm not there yet."

"You know, Puck, you really should try to attend your other classes. I'm in most of them, so I know you don't usually come. Even if we do well on this assignment, it's only one class. If you want to bring up your GPA, you've got to put some effort into these other classes also."

Puck smirked, "Yea, okay, thanks _Mom_."

Rachel sputtered an apology for overstepping her bounds, but Puck quickly interrupted.

"Tell you what, Berry. I'll try to attend classes a little more often. But since I'm taking your recommendation, I think you should consider my suggestion to have a little bit of fun in life."

"I have plenty of f…"

"Yes, you have very innocent, good girl fun. I'm just saying you should try a little rebellion once in awhile. It'd be good for you. Nothing crazy…just live a little."

Puck stood up to leave. Just when Rachel thought that they had managed to have an innuendo-free conversation, Puck continued. "Oh and Berry, make sure you knock before you come into my bedroom…wouldn't want you to see anything that would offend those virgin eyes of yours."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Goodbye, Puck."

After her left, Rachel looked at the picture once again. It was wildly inappropriate and offensive, but she had to admit…he made her look _good_. Suddenly Quinn slid into the sit next to her and Rachel quickly hid the picture in her textbook.

"Thanks again so much for being Puck's partner on this assignment. I know what a pain he can be. It's just that Finn is so worried about him and I am too."

"No problem, Quinn. I'm sure that Puck and I will be able to work together successfully so his grade can be salvaged."

"Well good, I'm glad that's settled."

"Quinn, do you think I need to have more fun?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just something Puck mentioned…that I should have non-good girl fun. Do you have a lot of non-good girl fun?"

Quinn chuckled and pointed at her belly. "Um, Rachel, what do you think?"

Rachel laughed, "Oh yea…"

"Listen, Puck is probably just messing with you. Not in a mean way, just _his _way. I wouldn't worry about it. But it probably wouldn't hurt to try new things."

"That's true. If I'm going to be an accomplished Tony award-winning actress someday, I have to make sure I take advantage of opportunities for varied experiences."

"Exactly. Now, we have to talk about plans for the weekend. I'm thinking a girls' night…we can invite Tina and Mercedes also…oh and wouldn't it be great if we…"

Rachel listened, smiling at her good fortune to finally have friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel was annoyed. Puck had promised during their meeting that he would be home this afternoon. But here she had been ringing his doorbell for 10 minutes with no answer! She got in her car to drive home, but about three blocks away she noticed Puck's truck in a driveway. She rang the doorbell of that house, but there was no answer. Rachel knew that Puck cleaned pools part-time and although it was October, she wondered if perhaps he was in the backyard doing something with the pool. So, she wandered into the backyard. She thought she heard voices coming from the guest house, so peered into the back window. Rachel was shocked. Puck and a woman were clearly engaged in a sexual liaison. The woman seemed to be _really_ enjoying herself. Rachel couldn't help but admire the taut muscles of Puck's back and notice a tattoo on his left triceps muscle. Without her consent, her eyes began to unconsciously trail downwards along his back to where his lower body was concealed beneath white satin sheets. Suddenly, Rachel's eyes connected with Puck's in the reflection of a mirror. She gasped; mortified that she had been caught watching him. She wasn't able to look away from him though and for some reason, he wasn't looking away from her either. She couldn't help but think it was rude of him to be maintaining eye contact with her when he was supposed to be pleasuring another woman.

The woman suddenly noticed their observer and instead of being annoyed, she said, "Puck, is that your girlfriend?" and yelled out the open window to Rachel, "Would you care to join us, sweetheart?"

Rachel ran as fast as she could out of the backyard, while Puck finished his afternoon tryst with Mrs. Perkins. However, he was annoyed that he spent much of it thinking about what it would have been like if Berry had joined them…and to his surprise, thinking for one brief moment what it would have been like if Mrs. Perkins had then left them.

About an hour later, he arrived home and his mother announced that a girl was waiting for him in his bedroom. Puck knew it had to be Rachel, because his mother would never have let Santana or any of the other girls he brought home to be in his bedroom. However, he knew it probably only took about one second for his mom to be completely charmed by Rachel Berry.

As he entered his room, Rachel jumped up from where she had been sitting at his desk.

"Puck, I greatly apologize for interrupting your liaison earlier today. I went to your house to give you notes from class and then saw your truck in a nearby driveway and decided to look for you out back and I didn't mean to linger for so long and I…"

"Chill, Berry. It's cool. I have to say though I'd never taken you for a voyeur."

Rachel gasped and squeaked, "I am _not_ a voyeur. I'm just not that experienced in that particular arena and was caught off guard."

Puck smirked. "Not that experienced, huh? That's a shock. Berry, have you even kissed anyone?"

"I have! Todd Walker. It was at that party at his house at the end of 8th grade. But it ended up just being some joke. Haven't been kissed since…or invited to another party for that matter…"

Puck remembered that party. He hadn't been able to go because his grandmother was in the hospital.

"Jeez, Berry. That's pretty sad."

He said it jokingly, but as he looked at Rachel's crestfallen face as she recalled the painful memory, he realized just how sad it actually was.

Before he could help himself, he had reached over and tilted her chin upwards with his hand. Looking her directly in the eye, he said, "I'm sorry, Rachel."

Rachel felt her heart rate increase and a small smile come to her face. She was surprised to see a genuine smile, and not a smirk, adorn Puck's face as well. But the moment was quickly broken.

"Okay, Berry. It's time for you to get some education." He opened his top drawer and presented her with a DVD that had a barely-clothed woman on the cover. Despite her lack of experience, Rachel was able to quickly identify what it was.

"Puck! I am not watching a pornographic movie with you."

"Relax, Rachel. This is so soft-core; it's practically an R-rated Hollywood film. I mean it even has a freakin' plot."

He meant it too. It had been his first porno and was quite innocent compared to some of his more recent acquisitions, but he had held onto it for posterity. He's not sure who was more shocked, him or Rachel, when she sat down at his desk chair and waited for him to lock his bedroom door and turn on the movie.

Puck spent the entire length of the movie sitting across the room from Rachel, watching her watch the movie. He had never been so turned on. She managed to look simultaneously curious, confused, uneasy, and excited. Near the end of the film, when the point of her tongue peeked out and began to moisten her lips, he found himself thinking some very dirty thoughts about little, innocent Rachel Berry. He found his eyes scanning her entire body, lingering on the long, tanned legs that peeked out of her schoolgirl skirt. Although he was unable to look away from her when she interrupted his earlier tryst, it wasn't until this moment that he noticed how hot Rachel Berry really was.

When the movie ended, Rachel just stood up and refusing to look him in the eyes, said, "This was very educational and informative. I'm sure it will be helpful when I am a famous actress and need to perform intimate scenes. Thank you."

She moved towards the bedroom door and was surprised when Puck followed her and entered her personal space, practically pinning her against the door. For his part, Puck strangely enjoyed the sharp intake of breath that she took when he leaned across her to unlock his bedroom door. He bent down and whispered seductively in her ear, "Pleasant dreams tonight, Berry." She met his eyes for the first time in an hour-and-a-half and whispered "Thank you" before opening the door and scampering out.

Puck realized that scandalizing Rachel Berry was quickly becoming his favorite hobby.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Puck actually attended his math class for the first time in forever. And she didn't even bother to show up! Afterwards, during conversation with Finn about football, he asked about where she was.

"Um, I think she had some sort of doctor's appointment this morning. I think Quinn mentioned something like that. Puck, please be nice to Rachel."

"Dude, what are you talking about? Has Rachel been talking shit about me?"

"Not at all! It's just that she's a really nice girl and she and Quinn have been getting really close."

"Dude, relax. I'll be perfectly nice to little Miss Berry. She's trying to help me…I get it."

The subject of the conversation rounded the corner and upon noticing them, smiled and headed in their direction. Puck watched her coming towards them and took a moment to admire those long legs, her shiny hair, and her juicy lips. All of a sudden, Brian Smith from the hockey team walked up to her and just casually tossed his cherry slushie into her face.

And then, just as suddenly, Brian Smith was pinned against the lockers. Rachel looked up at Puck and as their eyes connected, it was clear from the looks on their faces that neither one knew who was more surprised that Puck had stepped into the hero role. Rachel gave him a small smile before running into the bathroom. Puck didn't know what had come over him; he just became so enraged when he saw the cherry slushie flying in the air towards Rachel's face.

"What's your problem, Puck? I mean, you're usually leading us in torturing Berry."

"Well, catch up because things have changed. We don't _torture_ Rachel Berry anymore. Got it?"

"Got it, man. Now just let me go."

While Puck and Brian had been talking, Finn went to find Quinn. Puck just awkwardly stood outside the bathroom door because he didn't know what to do. Quinn flew around the corner with an angry look on her face.

"It wasn't me this time, Q!"

Quinn ran into the bathroom and immediately began to help Rachel clean up.

"It's okay, Quinn. This happens all the time. It's just that I've had a very interesting morning. I had to go to the doctor and it was super-awkward."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, my dads found out that I'm working with Puck on this project and they made me go on the pill."

At Quinn's look of shock and slight fear, Rachel said, "No, no, it's okay. They're not like scary or over-protective…they're just very pragmatic about these things. I mean, they know what Puck looks like…can you blame them? I figured it was better to just agree…after all, it's great for the skin. If only they knew how ridiculously inexperienced I am."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the girls, Puck and Finn could hear their conversation from where they were hovering outside the door.

_Man, how badass was he?! A girl's fathers made her go on birth control just because they heard she was working on a class project with him. And wait a second, was she saying something about how hot he was…_

Though he was lost in thought, Puck realized Finn was trying to get him to move away from the door.

"This seems like a private conversation, Puck. We should leave."

Puck didn't see Rachel at all for the rest of the day until football practice when he saw her sitting on the stands watching the team. Unfortunately, he was stuck running laps afterwards because he mouthed off to Couch. By the time he got inside, the rest of the team had showered and gone.

After his shower, as he was putting his shoes on, he heard a familiar voice echo through the locker room. "Puck?"

"In here, Berry."

Rachel awkwardly walked through the aisle, wrinkling her nose at the distinct smell of the locker room. "Um, hi. I just wanted to say thank you for earlier. I really appreciate it."

"No sweat, Berry."

Rachel paused for a moment, like she was making a decision, and then stood on her tiptoes to place a light kiss on his check. All of a sudden, Rachel felt her back slam against the lockers as Puck attacked her lips with his. When his tongue dragged across her bottom lip, she emitted a soft moan that allowed him to deepen the kiss. Her hands remained along her side, her palms and fingers splayed against the lockers. _His_ hands, however had inadvertently roamed along the sides of her torso, finally coming to rest at her waist. When air became an issue, they pulled apart.

"Um, Puck, what was that?"

"That was for when you're a famous actress writing your autobiography and need to describe your really hot first kiss. I think this can erase Todd Walker."

"Um, okay, thanks.", Rachel said breathlessly and walked out of the locker room in a daze.

The truth was Puck thought the kiss _was_ pretty damn hot and not just because of him. He was trying to figure out how she could kiss like that with no experience and wondering what else her mouth could do with such natural ability. He was also trying to figure out what had possessed him to kiss her. All he knew for certain was that things were starting to get interesting…


	5. Chapter 5

This is my second update in one day, so don't forget to read the previous chapter! (Otherwise this probably will make a lot less sense...)

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On Friday night, Rachel Berry hosted her first _ever _sleepover. Her fathers had gone away for the weekend, but had been generous enough to leave money for pizza and ice cream and anything else that they would need. Rachel was a little nervous about having friends over, because honestly, other than when parents had forced her children to visit in elementary school, she had never really had visitors. However, as soon as she opened the front door to a ridiculously excited Quinn in addition to Tina and Mercedes, she knew this would be a fun evening. They painted fingernails and toenails, engaged in some pillow fighting, watched movies, and made futile attempts to give each other new hairstyles. Rachel was amused to discover that actual sleepovers were quite similar to those depicted on television and film. However, a quick check of her phone by Quinn led to a change to the usual content of girls' night.

"Rachel, Finn just sent me a text that the guys are really bored and wondering if they can come over to hang out for a little bit."

Rachel wasn't so sure about this idea. Her fathers were pretty lenient, but it felt wrong to invite a bunch of high school guys over to an all-girl sleepover without their permission. But, she didn't want to ruin the fun, so she told Quinn that it would be fine.

The doorbell rang about 15 minutes later and Rachel opened it to a grinning Finn and the voices of Matt and Mike thanking her for having them over. Then, Puck walked through the door. Rachel immediately blushed…she knew Finn would bring Matt and Mike since they were fellow Glee members, but how could she have not considered that Puck would be one of the friends that Finn was bringing? What had begun as such a promising night had suddenly become quite awkward. She had been in such a haze after their kiss that she couldn't even remember getting from the locker room to her car. She knew that he had only kissed for the reason he gave, and probably also to mess with her head, but the kiss affected her far more than it should have. Based on that kiss, she could totally understand why that woman with Puck the other day was enjoying herself so much. She realized that she was staring at Puck and he had definitely noticed because he winked at her salaciously. It's like he _knew_ that she was thinking about him a sexual context. Even when he's not doing anything, he's simply insufferable!

Rachel immediately re-entered hostess mode…she was nothing if not polite. After taking snack and drink requests, she headed to the kitchen. She could detect from there that the boys had found her karaoke system and were in the process of setting it up. She chuckled as she re-entered the living room to the beginning notes of a familiar song. Mike and Matt were serenading the girls (and Finn) with "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." Puck was nowhere to be found, but Rachel figured he'd either left or was using the bathroom. She decided to run upstairs quickly to find her camera. The scene in front of her was priceless and she definitely wanted it captured on film. As she pushed the ajar door to her bedroom open, she was surprised to find Puck wandering around her room.

"Puck! You scared me to death. Um, what are you doing in my room?"

"Just looking for your diary, Berry."

"Well, I don't keep a diary. But why would you be looking for one anyway?"

"Figured it would be good reading…someone as outwardly innocent as you are probably writes dirty things in secret. But since you don't have a diary, I guess you just think them instead."

"I'll have you know that my thoughts are quite innocent, unlike yours which are probably as pure as the driven snow."

"Damn right." As Puck walked past Rachel's desk, he couldn't help but notice a telltale crumpled piece of paper peeking out of her history textbook.

"Aw, you kept my artwork! I'm touched. Tell me, how accurate is my depiction?"

"Ugh, you are such a reprehensible pig. The reason I kept this offensive picture you drew of me is because I certainly couldn't dispose of it at school where someone could find it."

Puck made an indistinct grunt in response as he plopped down on Rachel's bed.

Rachel was confused. It seemed that he wasn't ready to leave her room, but he wasn't talking either. She assumed he was thinking of his next inappropriate comment, so she decided to distract him with a different conversation.

"Did it hurt?"

"What? When I fell from heaven?"

"No, the tattoo. I'm just wondering if it hurt to get it because I've considered getting a modest tattoo on my ankle when I'm of legal age."

"Of course it didn't hurt me…I'm a badass. But getting one would probably be painful for you."

"Okay…"

Puck suddenly rose from the bed and approached her with a glint in his eye. Rachel automatically backed up a few steps.

"Tell me, Berry, how do you know I have a tattoo? Because I only got it two weeks ago and I just don't know when you would have seen it…"

Rachel got a look on her face that Puck could only describe as 'busted'. Unfortunately, when she asked the question, she hadn't considered exactly when it was that she learned Puck had a tattoo. However, Puck certainly remembered when it was that she saw his tattoo.

For one of the few times in her life, Rachel stumbled across her words. "Oh, um, well, I saw it when…I saw your back when….damnit, you know exactly when I saw your tattoo, Puck!"

"Ooh, watch the cursing little Miss Berry."

"You just love torturing me, don't you? I appreciate the recent stop to the slushie showers, but there is no need to replace them with verbal harassment."

"I'd love doing a lot of things to you", Puck immediately responded. Then he added, "Sorry, but you left it wide open there."

Then he smiled at her…and it was the type of smile that made her pity poor Mrs. Puckerman because it must have been hard to punish a child with a smile like that.

"Well, I think we should head back downstairs. Your teammates are regaling us with their singing abilities."

Puck agreed and they headed down the stairs.

"You know, Berry, I wish I had known this was a pajama party. I could have come dressed in what I wear to bed."

Oh, do you have nice pajamas?

Puck smirked. "I sleep in the nude, Berry."

It was then that Rachel realized that she should get used to blushing if she was going to spend this much time around Puck.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews everyone! I had been getting a little nervous because my first story on here (Maybe They Were Both Just Misunderstood) seemed to get responses more quickly, but I'm glad you're all enjoying this one also! I also wanted to thank La Tigre for the very flattering review of my first story…not sure if you're reading this one, but since I can't acknowledge it there (without confusing people and making them think I've updated it), I thought I'd mention it here!

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The end of October passed quickly into the beginning of November and Rachel and Puck had settled into a routine with regards to their project. Much of their time was spent conducting separate research, but they got together during their free period to compare notes. Puck had been strangely participatory, much to Rachel's surprise. However, they had reached a point in the project at which time that after-school meetings would be required, at least according to Rachel.

So, at exactly 4:28pm on this particular Wednesday, Rachel arrived at Puck's house and his mother said to head up to Puck's room because he was home. Puck meanwhile was in the shower after a long football practice. Strange as it may sound, Puck considered the shower his 'thinking time'. Despite everyone's perceptions of him, Puck actually did think about the future and his goals. He was lost in thought as he got out of the shower and headed down the hall to his room, not realizing that it was past the time Rachel was due to arrive at his house.

When Puck entered the room, Rachel quickly realized he had obviously just come from the shower because he was naked except for a towel slung low on his hips. Rachel was not one to ogle, but even she had to admit he was quite the ideal physical specimen. She could _totally_ understand the appeal. It was strange though because although he was looking right at her, it was more like he was looking through her, like she wasn't even there. He turned to grab boxers off a pile on the floor and she realized he obviously hadn't noticed she was there because he was about to remove his towel.

"Um, Puck", she squeaked.

Puck spun around. "Berry, are you trying to give me a heart attack?! How long have you been there?"

"Since before you were here! I'm sorry I scared you, but you were about to be naked, so I thought it best to alert you to my presence."

"Well, you better close your eyes, princess, because I'm about to be naked again."

Puck chuckled as Rachel's lips parted in disbelief and her eyes squeezed closed. He quickly threw on his boxers and a pair of sweatpants, but decided to forgo the shirt, mostly because he liked making Berry uncomfortable. He took the opportunity while her eyes were closed to scan his eyes over her entire body. It was undeniable, she was hot.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now, I'm decent."

"Puck, I don't think you've ever been decent."

"A joke, Berry? That was good!"

They quickly settled down into working on the history project and were able to pull together a lot of the research they had collected, as well as identify gaps in their research. After they were finished, Rachel suggested they work on some other homework together since they were in most of the same classes. Puck agreed, figuring at the very least he could get some answers off of her.

After they had been working for a little while on their math homework, Rachel spoke.

"Puck, please don't take offense but I must speak openly. You clearly have natural intellectual abilities, so why do you skip class and only put forth the minimal effort."

"Same reason that I throw slushies, toss people in dumpsters, and chase cougars. People have been telling me I'm a loser since kindergarten…or since birth if you count my father…I might as well fulfill their expectations."

"Well, now you have one person saying you're not a loser. And I have very high standards, so my opinion should count more. Besides, I don't know about the 'cougars' as you call them, but you haven't thrown a slushie or tossed people in the dumpster for awhile now."

"Haven't really seen too much of the cougars in awhile either", Puck said under his breath.

Of course, Rachel heard anyway. "Huh? Why?"

"I don't know." And Puck really _didn't _know, but he'd just been less interested in his older women recently.

Rachel had a curious expression on her face and Puck did not like that, so he decided to grab the piece of paper that she was writing on and stood up holding it above his head.

"Puck, give that back", said Rachel jumping up from her spot on the floor, standing in front of Puck, and reaching futilely for the paper.

"Berry, you're really short!"

"I'll have you know my height is perfectly within the normal range for women."

"I'm sure it is, but it's a pity that you're still too short to reach this paper."

Puck admitted to himself that he didn't hate the view looking down her shirt as she was trying to grab his hand and the paper in it. He had been backing up to prevent her from getting it and didn't realize how close he was to his bed until the back of his knees hit it and he fell down onto the mattress, taking Rachel down on top of him. Instead of her getting embarrassed as he would have expected, she just remained intent on her goal of getting the paper. She wriggled her body up his, obviously not cognizant of what such an action could do to a young man of his age, and grasped for the paper. By the time she successfully grabbed it, she was straddling his waist, with her chest basically pressed against his face. He prepared himself for making a sexually-charged innuendo, but when he saw her clutching the paper to her chest with such a look of happiness on her face, the comment just slipped away. Instead, he tickled. And as it turned out, Rachel was ridiculously ticklish. He flipped them so she was on the bed and he was leaning over her tickling her. Neither of them seemed to notice that the paper that was the subject of their 'argument' had fallen over the side of the bed.

"Pu…Pu….sto…that tickles", Rachel said between her peals of laughter. Puck decided to take mercy and stopped tickling her. She continued laughing, but stopped when Puck reached over and moved the hair that had fallen into her face during the tickle assault. At that moment, she became aware of the position they were in. She was lying flat with her back on the bed and her skirt had ridden up her thighs slightly. He was leaning over her, hands still at the side that he had been tickling, one knee between her legs, and his broad chest just barely touching her gently heaving one. Rachel had managed to ignore that Puck was shirtless while they were doing homework, but she became acutely aware of it at this moment.

Suddenly a young voice yelled from the hallway. "Noaaah, mom wants to know if Rachel is staying for dinner."

"Hold on one second, squirt," Puck yelled.

Puck leaned off of Rachel and fell onto his own back so he was lying beside her on the bed.

"So, um, do you want to stay for…"

"I should probably head home. My dads will be wondering what happened to me this afternoon. Thanks though."

Rachel slowly got up from the bed and patted her skirt with her hands. A few moments later, Puck also stood with an unreadable expression on his face. They headed downstairs and Rachel bid farewell to Puck's mother and sister before leaving.


	7. Chapter 7

The following day, Rachel cornered Puck in the hallway, stating that they absolutely needed to get together this afternoon to work on their project.

"What, Berry, can't stand to be away from this hot body?"

Rachel immediately blushed, recalling their close encounter from the previous night. Puck was quick to notice this and for reasons even he couldn't understand, he enjoyed the effect this statement had on her.

"No, I'm just realizing how quickly the end of the semester is approaching and we really need to get working on this project."

"Fine, but I've got work this afternoon, so we'll either have to meet after that or you can meet me there."

"Puck, you clean pools. It's November."

"Yes, but occasionally I also housesit when my clients are out of town. Also, this place has an indoor pool."

"Well then I suppose I will meet you there. We can't afford to lose time and we'll need to do a great deal of talking about the paper before we actually write it, so we can do that while you're working."

Rachel promptly arrived at the address that Puck provided and was taken aback by the palace in front of her. The house was amazing; she understood now how they could have an indoor pool. Puck let her in and after he sorted the mail and fed the dog, they got to working on their project. He figured that they might as well do work in this spacious house than go to his house where it would be noisier. Afterwards, he insisted on showing Rachel the pool, and especially the ceiling skylight. Rachel sat down on the poolside chair and gazed up at the skylight that was the entire length of the pool.

"This is amazing, Puck. Have you ever swum in here?"

Puck never actually had swum in this pool. But Rachel's question gave him an idea that he was certain she wouldn't like too much.

Puck sauntered over to Rachel with a playful, yet devilish look on his face. He peeled off his shirt and Rachel felt herself drooling a bit. He reached for the zipper to his pants.

"Say, Berry, ever been skinny dipping?"

Rachel slapped her hand in front of her eyes. "I absolutely have not! This is the second time that you've insisted on being naked in front of me. Honestly, are you an exhibitionist?"

"Relax, Berry, ever hear of boxers".

After diving into the pool, Puck said, "So, are you coming in or not?"

"I don't have a bathing suit…and don't you dare suggest I get naked."

"Come on, Berry. You've got to live a little. You've got underwear on, right?"

Rachel just stared at him. On the other hand, joining Noah 'Badass' Puckerman in a clandestine nighttime swim clad only in undergarments was probably not the wisest thing to do. On the other hand, the pool did look awfully inviting and honestly, underwear is practically the same as a bathing suit…

"Turn around."

Puck was so shocked that she agreed to join him that he automatically turned around. However, he was then facing a wall of windows that against the nighttime sky had become mirrors for all intents and purposes. Thus, Puck was treated to the vision of Rachel Berry stripping down to a matching pink bra and panties. They weren't necessarily sexy, but suited her perfectly. He felt himself practically ogling her sensuous curves. Oddly enough, despite all of the naked women he'd seen in his time, this was still hot as hell. When he finally turned around after hearing her splash into the pool, he was met with the sight of a perturbed Rachel Berry across the width of the pool.

"You peeked, didn't you?"

"I'm me. What did you expect?"

"Yea, I guess I assumed you would…"

_Wait, she assumed I would and she still decided to get practically naked within eyesight of me._

"Okay, so what do we do now?", Rachel asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"We swim, Berry, obviously. You do know how to swim, right?"

"You're an idiot", she said laughingly.

"I prefer the term badass. Besides, that's part of the appeal, right?"

Strangely, Puck noticed that Rachel was getting suspiciously close to him, which was quite unexpected given their current attire. Then, suddenly, he was hit with a giant splash of water.

"Oh, you're dead", he exclaimed, chasing her as she swam away.

The two swam around the pool, splashing each other for awhile. At one point, Rachel launched herself out of the pool, no longer seeming to care if Puck saw her in water-soaked cotton. Puck quickly followed and chased her around the pool. For some reason, she stopped short and turned around, but Puck's reaction time was not as quick and he slammed into her. He reached out to grab her arms to steady her and then their eyes locked. Her cheeks were red and her hair was drenched and droplets of water were dripping down her face and Puck thought she never looked more beautiful. _Wait, beautiful? It was one thing to think of Berry as hot, but beautiful was another story completely. _Rachel thought he looked so different standing there in the moonlight. She found herself unable to look away from his bright, shining eyes. He looked so happy. _I better be careful or I'll start drowning in the depths of his eyes._

Puck was still holding her in his arms and they were close enough for them to feel the heat radiating off each other. Rachel was taking shallow breaths that made her chest heave. Puck was finding it incredibly difficult to not look down. So, he took a step back and couldn't help but notice that Rachel looked slightly disappointed. But then she smiled…and pushed him into the pool. He grabbed onto her at the last second and she went flying in with him.

An hour later, after they'd both dried off and Puck had locked up the house, Puck walked Rachel to her car. He had a strange feeling while standing next to her car because if this had been a date (which it was not), this would be when they decide whether to kiss or not, which was especially strange since Puck didn't _date_ per se. Rachel opened her car door and smiled up at him.

"This was a lot of fun, Puck. Thanks."

"Anytime, Berry."

The strange thing was that he meant it.


	8. Chapter 8

Puck was perturbed. This was partly due to the fact that he actually knew what perturbed actually meant due to a certain brunette and partly because she had the nerve to get on his case today about his "lack of commitment" to their project. She was so aggravating! He had a lot going on, what with football and his Fight Club and...okay, fine, he didn't have all that much going on, but this was the hardest he'd worked on an assignment since his 4th grade science project. She just didn't appreciate that his usual involvement in school was miniscule, so his performance on this project was actually quite impressive. Just to show her, he decided to make an unexpected visit to her house demonstrate his "commitment" to the project.

It wasn't until he had already rung the doorbell to the Berry home that he remembered _why_ he had always insisted on working on the project at school or at his house. Puck wasn't good with parents, particularly fathers. And due to overhearing Rachel and Quinn's conversation, he knew that these two particular fathers knew enough about him to put their daughter on birth control upon learning of her project partner. However, Puck was caught quite off guard when her fathers welcomed him into their home and just sent him upstairs with directions to her room. Puck forgot to look up what "pragmatic" meant after overhearing the girls' conversation, but he was going to assume that it means 'ridiculously laid-back to the degree that when a stud like Puck arrives at your front door, you just send him right on up to your teenage daughter's room'. It's not like anything was going to happen up there, but _they _didn't know that.

Puck found Rachel's room quite easily what with the gold star on her door. He shook his head amusedly when he saw the walls were like a bubble-gum colored explosion, but realized she wasn't there. He heard music coming from an open door leading to what he assumed was the bathroom. He groaned when he looked in and was treated to the sight of her sitting in a bubble bath in the Jacuzzi tub. Was this girl _trying_ to kill him? Puck leaned against the door frame, folded his arms in front of his chest, and waited for her to notice him. He couldn't help but admire the glisten of her tanned skin from the soapy water and the way that loose hairs from her haphazard bun fell into tendrils along the back of her neck. His reverie was broken by a high-pitched voice increasing in volume with each word spoken.

"Puck, what are you doing here?! We clearly need to have a discussion about boundaries because friends do _not_ watch other friends in the bath. If we're even friends…perhaps acquaintance or classmate or colleague would be a more appropriate description for our relationship. I'm new to this sort of thing. The other day, Quinn casually referred to us as best friends in conversation and I was happily surprised because I didn't realize that she considered us to be such…Puck, what are you smiling at?"

"I'm smiling at _you_, Berry, because only you would debate the definition for our relationship while sitting naked in a bath with bubbles rapidly evaporating around you…"

The redness crept up Rachel's cheeks as she looked down to see if she was still covered and shooed him out of the bathroom. Puck was amused when about twenty seconds later, Rachel opened the door a sliver and requested he hand her the clothes sitting on her desk chair. Puck chuckled as he handed over white cotton panties along with yoga pants and a t-shirt…he would have expected nothing less.

When Rachel finally emerged from the bathroom, she looked annoyed…but it was difficult to not transfer that into a feeling of longing when she saw Puck stretched out on her bed. _Snap out of it, Rachel…this is Puck after all. _

"What are you doing here?"

"For the record, Berry, your dads sent me right upstairs…I didn't know you would be in the bath. Anyway, I'm here because you said I wasn't participating enough in our project. So I'm here as long as you need me tonight.

Rachel's mind strangely went to a dirty place as she thought about the various ways that she could need Puck.

"Well, I suppose I could reschedule my MySpace video for later this evening. I have wanted to talk over an idea with you. As you know, a large piece of the paper is to be devoted to a work of literature that captures the time period. I think we should use Pride & Prejudice and since I know you won't read the book, I thought we should watch the movie. And since you're free right now…"

"Um, okay, I guess…"

Puck was barely able to speak before Rachel had put the DVD in and pressed play. She looked around the room worriedly and Puck realized that she was wondering where to sit since he was lounged across her entire bed.

"Right here, Berry", he said, patting the spot next to him. _What are you doing flirting with her…Finn told you not to mess with her…but I'm not messing with her…I just like the idea of sitting next to her…_

Puck tried to ignore the enjoyment he felt when she eased herself onto the bed next to him, though at a safe distance.

"How long is this movie, anyway, Berry?"

"Well, it's not a movie so much as it is a miniseries and it's a wonderful version from BBC starring the incomparable Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and I realize that it seems long but it moves along so quickly…"

Puck interrupted, "How long, Berry?"

"Five hours.

Puck grabbed the remote and pressed pause."

"Okay, Berry, this is not happening unless I get something out of this. I consider this a favor and as such, I demand a favor in return."

"Puck, I'm not some floozy that will just hop on her knees to pleasure you just because you're watching a long movie."

"Relax, jeez, I'm not talking about sexual favors, though I find it intriguing that the first place your mind went was to your knees", Puck said while waggling his eyebrows. "The deal is that you will get that tattoo you were talking about and I'm going to come with you."

Rachel thought for a moment and then said, "I'm not eighteen."

"If I can get around that, will you do it?"

"Well, I have been thinking about getting one someday and I suppose it couldn't hurt to have someone there who has experienced it before. Though I don't know why you're so interested in coming with me."

"So, you're in."

"I suppose I am. Now let's get back to the movie."

As the movie resumed, Puck didn't know what came over him, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Berry, I've got to say…before…in the tub...so hot, babe."

Rachel just smiled and moved a little bit closer to Puck on the bed, purely to get into a more comfortable position of course.

A few days later, Rachel laughed when she listened to a voicemail from Puck:

_"Hey Berry. So my mom was watching the Pride and Prejudice movie this weekend and I needed to call you because while this MacFayden guy is pretty good, Colin Firth was better. I totally understand why you insist that Colin was meant to be Darcy. Shit, I can't believe I'm talking about this. Can you delete this voicemail? Okay, thanks. And, um, have a nice weekend."_


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks so much for reviews, alerts, and favorites. I really appreciate it and am glad people are enjoying this story!

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Puck insisted that Rachel follow-through on their deal and so on the following weekend, he picked her up in his truck to bring her to the tattoo artist who had done his tattoo. He was surprised when she arrived at her door in jeans and a tight blue t-shirt instead of her usual skirt and sweater combination. Not to say that the surprise wasn't pleasant. Rachel became increasingly nervous during their drive and was incredibly anxious by the time they arrived at the tattoo parlor.

"So what'll it be", the tattoo artist asked Rachel.

"Oh my goodness. I had forgotten to select an appropriate design. I know I want a star involved, but I'm not sure what el…"

"This is what she wants", Puck stated handing over a napkin to the tattoo artist.

Rachel was annoyed at his presumption until she looked at the napkin on which he had drawn a simple design of pink flowers in a vine around a gold star.

"Puck, this is perfect. It's exactly what I wanted."

"Great design, man. Come on with your girl to the back room."

Rachel was going to protest that she wasn't Puck's "girl", but after noticing that Puck didn't object, she decided to let it go.

With a devilishly innocent expression on his face, Puck said, "Rachel, I don't think the ankle is the best place to get your tattoo."

Rachel looked at Puck suspiciously until he said, "When you're a famous singer and actress, you probably won't want a tattoo that's in visible sight."

"That's true! I should probably get it in a place that won't often be seen. And I have to keep in mind that at some point, I might deem it necessary to be sparsely clothed for artistic purposes. So where would you suggest?"

Puck surveyed Rachel's body before standing behind her, a little closer than necessary, and then placed his palm on the small of her back and dragged it downwards and to the right.

"Right here", he said decidedly.

Rachel unconsciously shivered at the intimacy of his touch.

"Okay…", she said dreamily, before recovering to add, "Perhaps it would be better if you waited outside."

As Rachel got into position on the chair, Puck slowly walked towards the door saying, "3…2…1."

As he expected, Rachel caught sight of the instruments that the tattoo artist would be using.

"Wait, Noah! On second thought, perhaps you should stay", Rachel said while grasping his hand with fearful anticipation.

"Noah?"

"I'm sorry. I know you prefer being called Puck. I just like your first name."

"Berry, you can call me whatever you want", Puck stated in a distracted manner.

Rachel followed Puck's eyes to where she had exposed her upper right buttocks area for the tattoo artist. "Puck! Stop staring at my rear end."

"Firstly, it's really more on the lower hip area than the upper ass. Secondly, I'm loving the sexy black underwear."

"Well I figured if I was going to obtain a tattoo as an underage minor, I might as well look the part", Rachel whispered.

"I didn't hear that", the tattoo artist interrupted.

"_Noah_, stop looking at my butt!"

"Rachel, stop calling Noah."

They stayed in silence, though still holding hands, until the process had gotten fully underway.

"It hurts. It hurts", Rachel stated while squeezing her eyes tightly and squeezing Puck's hand even more tightly.

Puck squatted down to Rachel's eye level and said comfortingly, "I know it hurts, baby, but it's almost done. And, I've decided you can call me Noah."

Rachel smiled. She was amazed at how a simple gesture from Puck seemed to alleviate the physical pain she was experiencing.

After the tattoo artist was finished and Rachel had written down all of his instructions for care, she smiled at Puck as they were leaving the parlor.

"I'm glad I did this. Thanks, Puck."

"No problem, Berry. And now you'll think of _this_ badass stud every time you see your tattoo."

"Well based on the location, I don't imagine many people, including myself, will be able to see it on a regular basis."

There was something that Puck liked about the fact that he was one of the rare few who would get the opportunity to see Rachel's tattoo. Not like he would be jealous of any other guys who got to see it, of course. It's just a matter of fairness; he was the one who designed it.

Opening the passenger door to his truck for her, he said, "Oh and Berry, I lied. It's definitely on your ass."

Rachel and Puck had both gotten text messages from Quinn and Finn respectively inviting them to join them for lunch at the diner. When they arrived together in Puck's truck, Quinn was curious.

"Were you two working on your project so early on a Saturday morning?"

"Oh no, we were, um, doing something else."

"Why don't you tell them, Berry?", Puck said teasingly.

"No! Um, I mean, it's private."

"Come on, Berry", Puck said while tickling her side.

"Noah! Stop, stop.", Rachel said while laughing.

Suddenly, Quinn leapt out of her seat and pulled Rachel out of the booth. "Rachel and I need to go to the bathroom _immediately_."

Rachel was confused but figured the baby was sitting on Quinn's bladder. However, when they got to the bathroom, Quinn just looked at her with a joyful glean in her eyes.

"Okay, spill."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"You and Puck! Finn and I just hoped that you could help him pull his grades up, but this is even better. When you think about, it makes complete sense…you balance each other out perfectly."

"Quinn, I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Are you honestly trying to tell me nothing is going on between you two? I have eyes, Rachel, and I saw the flirting happening out there."

"There was no flirting! Puck was just being annoying."

"You called him _Noah_."

"Oh, well he said I could call him that.

"Puck doesn't let anyone call him Noah."

"Nothing happened between me and Puck. Well, I mean, he did kiss me once, but that was just…"

"He kissed you! I am so excited. We can double-date all the time!"

"Why is that so exciting? How is it any different than what we're doing right now?"

"It just is. Eee I'm so happy right now!"

"Quinn, I swear to you, nothing is happening between me and Puck."

Quinn looked at Rachel with an expression of wisdom on her face. "Well then, maybe there should be."


	10. Chapter 10

I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, but I sort of need it as "set-up" for later chapters. So, please bear with me. I have an idea for the next chapter that brings Mercedes and Tina into the mix, which I'm excited about.

* * *

Rachel was annoyed. They had a meeting scheduled promptly at 4pm, but Puck was not home. In fact, no one was at his house, so she was stuck sitting in her car parked outside. She checked her phone for the eighteenth time and a voicemail appeared.

"Hey, Berry. It's me. Sorry I'm running late. I'm sure you're having a conniption. See, I'm totally using that SAT book you forced on me. Anyway, you can just let yourself in. The spare key is under the flower pot. I'll be home in 20 minutes."

Rachel got out of her car and walked up to the Puckermans' front door. She looked to her right, then her left, and only when she was certain no one looking, she retrieved the key from its hiding place. Granted, it wasn't a particularly inventive place to hide a key, but she would not end up responsible if someone broken into the home in the future. After she entered the house, she wasn't sure what to do. She felt awkward being there alone. Of course, it was better than being there with Puck's mother and sister. They seemed like lovely people, but whenever she tried to strike up a conversation with them on her way in or out of the house, Puck shooed him to his room or out the front door respectively. So, out of respect for Puck's desire to keep her separate from his family, she would have felt awkward talking with them today. Rachel decided to go upstairs to wait in Puck's room. On her way up the stairs, she smiled at the pictures of a younger Puck that she had caught her eye in the past, but she never had the chance to examine closely. Once she got into Puck's room, she once again was not sure what to do. She completed most of her homework during her free period and she was not one to snoop around someone else's room, though she admittedly wondered what secrets Puck was hiding in his room. Rachel was a little tired, so she decided to just rest on Puck's bed.

Approximately 23 minutes later, Puck dashed up the staircase…but then slowed down for the last few steps…studs like him didn't worry about being late for anybody. When he sauntered into his bedroom, smirk firmly in place, he was taken aback to see Rachel curled up fast asleep on his bed. An odd feeling of warmth filled his chest when he heard her sigh quietly. Seeing her laying there on his bed made Puck's mind wander to what other things she could in his bed…with him, of course. The strange thing was that as much as he was picturing things of a sexual nature involving Rachel and his bed, he was also thinking how peaceful she looked just laying there. She did look a little cold though. _Shit, when in the hell did I start caring about whether Rachel Berry was cold?_ Okay, he really needed to stop watching Rachel sleep. It was creepy. He should have woken her up; he knew she would be mad that he didn't…but instead he covered her with a blanket and went downstairs to play some video games.

Puck was getting something to drink in the kitchen when he heard Rachel come down the stairs. She entered the kitchen with sleepy eyes and a confused expression on her face. All Puck could think was how she looked so beautiful. Before she could launch into a lecture about how he shouldn't have let her sleep and then thank him profusely for covering her with a blanket, he yelled out to the dining room.

"Rachel's staying for dinner, Ma."

Rachel was surprised, especially since Puck had been intent on limiting her contact with his family. She called her fathers to let them know and then her dinner with the Puckermans began. Rachel chatted with his mother about her singing and her aspirations for the future. Puck remained mostly quiet during dinner, as did his sister. But all of a sudden, the little girl spoke.

"Are you Noah's girlfriend?"

Puck kicked his sister under the table.

"No, no. Your brother and I are just friends; we're not dating."

"Why not? You should be his girlfriend. You're pretty and nice and smart and Noah talks about you _a lot_."

For the first time that she could recall, Rachel actually saw Puck _blush_.

From the smile on Mrs. Puckerman's face, Rachel had a sneaking suspicion that Puck's little sister may have been coached a little bit with regards to her questions about the nature of their relationship. Rachel herself had been encountering familial pressure regarding her relationship with Noah. Oddly enough, both of her fathers were commenting on that "Puck fellow" and how they didn't mind him hanging around so much. Rachel was beyond confused as to why her fathers were encouraging her to spend _more_ time with a reputed sex fiend.

After dinner, Rachel insisted that they at least talk about their project a little so that the day wasn't wasted.

"Our paper is coming along quite well, but we need to get started on the creative presentation component of the assignment. Now, I have an idea, but you're not going to like it."

"How much am I not going to like it?"

Rachel decided to not answer that question and just lay it on him.

"So, you know how we watched Pride and Prejudice…and how much they danced in that time period…well I thought we could learn and perform a dance for the class!

Puck laughed so hard, his sides were literally in pain.

"What's so funny?"

"Shit, Berry, you're serious?"

"Of course I'm serious! And I would appreciate it if you didn't laugh at me. It's an excellent idea. Dancing was very important during that time period. It was the primary means of courtship."

"You are insane. There is no way in hell that I am doing this."

"We can do this Puck! I've seen you dance; you're a natural. Of course, I have years of extensive training…ballet, jazz, tap. And I've recently become quite adept at pole dancing."

Puck had begun to zone out as Rachel listed her various dancing abilities, but that last one caught his attention. He began to choke on the water he had been drinking.

"What the hell are you talking about, Berry? Do you have some side job I don't know about?"

"It's an exercise class! Please, Noah…please. I'll do anything."

Puck was ready to throw out a lewd comment about what exactly she could do to him, but then she looked up at him with those big brown eyes and pouty lips and he was a goner.

"Fine, I'll do it."

Rachel launched herself at Puck and threw her arms around him. Puck wrapped his arms around her small waist and a thought popped into his mind about how natural it felt to have her in his arms. He leaned his head downward towards her shoulder and inhaled the scent of her hair. He didn't know what it was, but it was heavenly.

"Puck, did you just sniff my hair?"

"No."

Rachel stepped back, a little embarrassed at how she had hugged him so enthusiastically. But he _did _hug back, after all.

Later than night as Puck tried to fall asleep, all he could think about was Rachel had somehow gotten him to agree to perform an old-fashioned dance in front of their entire class…and all he could picture was Rachel doing a strip tease pole dance. There was definitely _something_ about this girl that made him do crazy things.

Later that night as Rachel tried to fall asleep, her thoughts raced. She had managed to block out what Quinn had said at the restaurant from her mind, but when she woke up today in Noah's bed and realized he had placed a blanket over her, it all came rushing back. Moreover, she realized that she wanted something to be happening. He made her feel things she never felt before…he was dangerous, but made her feel safe; he was lewd, but made her feel sexy; he was Puck, but he let her call him Noah.

An idea popped into her head and before she could talk herself out of it, she sent a quick text message. "_Lavender and chamomile_."

Six miles away, Puck opened up a new text message and smiled. He wrote back: "_Sweet dreams, Rachel_."

Five minutes later, both were fast asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

At 2am on a Saturday night, Puck was woken out of a deep slumber by the ring of his cell phone. Puck looked at it and saw it was Rachel…then he noticed the time.

"Rachel! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine! I'm out with Tina and Mercedes and we went out to sing karaoke at this place and people just started buying us these fruity drinks because we're the best singers here and they are delicious and it's so much fun here!"

"Okay, wait, so you're not hurt or anything."

"Nope, we're all in superb health."

"Then why are you calling me?"

"I missed you."

Puck heard a chorus of "aw" in the background.

"Alright, Berry, where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"There is no need for that, Puck. We're going to take a cab back to Tina's house."

"Berry, it's late, you're all drunk. Just tell me where you are."

Suddenly, Puck heard Mercedes' voice on the phone.

"We're at this place on the corner of 5th and Jefferson. They're having karaoke night…you'll probably be able to hear it from outside."

"Alright, I'll be there in twenty. And, um, try to keep Berry out of trouble. I'm sure she's critiquing everyone's singing and drunk people singing karaoke tend to not like that."

"Sure thing, lover boy."

"Shut it, Jones. I know where you live."

Puck grabbed his jacket and left his house quietly so as to not wake his mother. A blast of cold air hit him as soon as he stepped outside. _Shit, I'm freezing…Berry is damn lucky that I like her so much. _ Puck opted to not linger too long on _that_ thought because he knew if he did that he'd end up on a path that wasn't easily retreated.

About 15 minutes later, Puck found himself across town in a not-so-nice part of town. The first thing he heard when he walked in the building was a god-awful version of "Pour Some Sugar on Me". However, the first thing he _saw_ was Rachel, Tina, and Mercedes dancing the hell out of the song next to the karaoke singer. All three girls looked amazing tonight, but Puck couldn't drag his eyes away from Rachel. She was wearing skinny jeans, black boots, and a black sleeveless top that showed off her boobs. Puck felt himself getting hard just looking at her. All of a sudden, Rachel caught sight of Puck and ran away leaving Tina and Mercedes dancing. She flung her body at him into a hug and luckily did not seem to notice the presence of 'little Puck'.

"Noah! I'm so glad you came! Do you want to hear us perform? We're quite impressive."

Rachel was even drunker than Puck had anticipated. He grabbed her hands to stop her from bouncing around

"I think it's best if we get you home, Berry."

They retrieved the other two girls and then they waited by the front entrance of the bar, while Puck brought his truck around. When he arrived back, he noticed a skeezy-looking guy totally hitting on Rachel. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to realize the way he was looking at her…like he was a wolf staring at his prey. He was staring at her boobs, and while Puck couldn't blame the guy for that…she had nice boobs…he could just tell that this guy was only after a quick lay.

Puck sauntered over and put his arm around Rachel, pulling her into his side.

"Sup, friend?", the slimeball asked.

"Nothing, _friend_. I hope you're not hitting on my girl here."

"Your girl? She's dressed like she's ready to get it on with a stranger tonight."

Puck pulled Rachel to stand behind him and curled his fists tight and puffed out his chest.

"If you like your face the way it is, you better just walk away. My girl always looks hot…for _my_ eyes only."

The other guy gave a smirk and just walked away.

Puck grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her towards the truck, as Tina and Mercedes followed quickly behind.

"What _was_ that, Puck?"

"Just get in the truck, Berry."

When she didn't move fast enough for his liking, he threw open the passenger door and hoisted her into the truck. Mercedes and Tina jumped into the backseat as the truck roared to life.

Neither Mercedes nor Tina dared to speak, so silence reigned in the truck for five minutes until Rachel's quiet voice spoke.

"Are you angry with me, Noah?"

"Yea, Berry, I'm _pissed_ at you. You seriously need to be more careful. Do you realize what that asshole wanted from you, huh? "

"I'm sorry. I just didn't realize…", Rachel trailed off as tears began to stream down her face.

Puck pulled the truck over. He took a deep sigh, turned towards Rachel, and lifted her chin with his finger.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I shouldn't have yelled. It's just that the idea of you getting hurt was upsetting to me."

Rachel smiled at him and softly said, "Thank you for caring about me, Noah."

Puck grunted and responded, "Whatever, Berry."

But then Rachel placed her small hand on top of his and he smiled quietly to himself. He began to put the truck into drive when she quietly addressed him again.

"Do you think I'm dressed like I'm ready to get it on with a stranger tonight?"

"Berry, you look hot. Any guy who has eyes would want to get it on with you tonight. But that doesn't mean you're a slut."

Puck put the car back in drive and ignored the fact that he had turned his hand so that his fingers intertwined with Rachel's. Suddenly, he remembered that there had been an audience for their little conversation when he caught sight of Mercedes and Tina in the rearview mirror. Mercedes was staring wide-eyed at the front seat, while Tina had her hand over her heart with a dreamy look at her face.

"What are you two looking at?"

And Tina, who had never spoken to Puck in her life before and was under the influence of a little liquid courage, just exclaimed, "That was the most adorable thing I've ever witnessed!"

Puck's eyes became dark….he was a stud and studs don't _do _adorable.

Mercedes slapped her hand over Tina's mouth. "Um, she meant adorable in the most badass way possible."

Puck just shook his head…._drunk girls_.

"Where the hell am I driving, anyway?"

Mercedes gave him directions to Tina's house. Puck looked to his right and saw that Rachel had fallen fast asleep. And as the truck sailed along under the starry sky, Puck found himself gazing to the side more often than someone driving should be. Her hair shone in the moonlight and her fingers remained intertwined with his. As she let out a small sigh, he realized that somewhere along the way, things had changed.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks again for the reviews. I think this will only be two more chapters. I finally know how I want it to end. I'm hoping for 100 reviews by the time it's done!

Also, I think I've come up with my next Puckleberry story (tentatively to be titled 'Chasing Juilliard').

* * *

At exactly 4:41pm on a Tuesday afternoon, Rachel received a highly distressing phone call.

"Rachel, there's been a car accident involving Puck's little sister. Finn and I were with him when he heard the news, so we've been waiting here with him and his mother, but I think you should come also."

"That's terrible! I hope she's going to be okay. How are Puck and his mother doing? I'm not sure if I should come, Quinn. I'm not a close friend of the family and I wouldn't want to be in the way."

"Trust me, Rachel, he'd want you here."

"I'll be there right away."

Rachel rushed over to the local hospital and into the waiting area that Quinn had directed her to. She immediately went over to Puck to give him a hug, but quickly moved to sit with Finn and Quinn so that he could continue comforting his mother. They all waited for word on Sarah's condition.

The doctor finally emerged saying, "Family of Sarah Puckerman?"

Everyone stood up and Mrs. Puckerman immediately rushed forward towards the doctor. Rachel unconsciously moved closer to Puck, now standing where Mrs. Puckerman had been.

"She's going to be okay. She has a broken leg and quite a few bumps and bruises, but considering the circumstances, she's lucky."

"Oh, thank goodness. What happened?"

"The police said that she was hit by a car when it ran up on to the sidewalk. The driver was…"

Suddenly, Puck interrupted angrily.

"The jackass was driving drunk, right? Just ran down my baby sister. I'm gonna fuckin' kill him. Just wait until I get my hands…."

Puck's speech halted when he felt Rachel timidly place her hand on his arm and quietly say, "Noah…"

In reaction, Noah just sat down on the chair with his elbows to his knees and his head in his hands. Mrs. Puckerman, Finn, and Quinn were shocked. Contrary to popular belief, while Puck certainly enjoyed his fair share of aggressive behavior, it actually took quite a bit to make him really angry. However, when he did become angry, he experienced rage that was impossible to ease. Yet, Rachel simply saying his name quelled stopped his anger in its tracks. It was as if her mere presence had a calming effect on him.

The doctor spoke again. "The driver was an elderly gentleman experiencing a stroke. He's not able to communicate at the moment, but the police think he was trying to steer his car to the side of the road and ended up on the sidewalk instead where he hit your sister. You can come in and see her now."

Mrs. Puckerman and Puck hurried back with the doctor to visit with Sarah, while Finn, Quinn, and Rachel remained in the waiting room.

"Wow, Rachel, that was amazing."

"What was, Finn?"

"I've been best friends with Puck for practically our whole lives, through some pretty tough times for his family. When he gets upset, I just step back because I know there's nothing I can do to stop it. But all you had to do is just say his name and it's like you made his anger go away."

Quinn nodded in agreement and while she knew this was not the appropriate moment to mention it, she just knew that this confirmed her suspicions that something was happening between Rachel and Puck, even if neither one knew it yet.

Mrs. Puckerman came back to the waiting room about 15 minutes later to retrieve her purse and let her son's friends know that he would be driving home with them. Finn went to get Puck, while Puck's mom pulled aside Quinn and Rachel.

"Thank you, girls, so much for coming. Noah is lucky to have such good friends. I will be staying here with Sarah tonight, but I think it's best for Noah to go home and rest. Here's some money for pizza…if you could spend the evening with him, I'd really appreciate it. I think it would be good for him to just do some normal activities. I know he puts up a tough front because he's such a 'badass', or whatever it is he calls himself, but I know this is hurting him."

"Of course, Mrs. Puckerman. We would be happy to spend time with Noah."

"Thank you, Rachel, and please call me Abigail."

Puck and Finn had just come back from Sarah's room.

"Ma, I should stay here with you and Sarah tonight."

"Sweetie, go home and spend some time with your friends. The hospital is hesitant to let even me stay. Sarah will be fine and she knows how much you care about her. Please don't worry."

Once Puck finally agreed to leave the hospital, Finn drove him home in his car, while Quinn rode with Rachel. For the rest of the evening, the four friends played Guitar Hero, watched a movie, and ate pizza. Puck put up a strong front and pretended everything was fine, but they all knew he was just pretending. Finn knew because Puck only ate 3 slices of pizza, but Quinn's and Rachel's recognition of his feelings went a bit deeper. Around 11 o'clock, Quinn began to yawn.

"Quinn, perhaps you should home? Looks like you need some rest."

"Oh, I'm fine, Rach."

"Well the baby certainly needs her rest."

At mention of the baby, Finn entered his protective father role and insisted that he drive Quinn home. After the two left, Rachel prepared herself to leave also and Puck walked her to the front door.

"Rachel, I'm not really good at, you know, like expressing crap and stuff, but I just wanted to say thanks for today. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Rachel knew that this was probably the most feeling-laden thing Puck had ever said. She also knew that although he wasn't clearly saying it, the implication was that he needed her. _And what kind of friend would I be if I left him now when he needs me the most._

"You know, Puck, I'm feeling tired and I'm worried I won't be able to get home safely. Can I stay here?"

Puck had a feeling that this was a mere excuse and she was really staying because she was worried about him, but the idea of having someone else in the house with him tonight was too comforting to pass up.

"Sure, you can sleep in my sister's room. I'll give you some clothes to wear."

About twenty minutes after they went to their respective rooms, neither one was sleeping. Puck was lying in his bed with his back facing the door, thinking about all that had happened today and what it would be like if his sister hadn't been so lucky. He heard his door open and although she didn't speak, he knew she was there. Both remained silent as she got into his bed and under his covers. She wrapped her arms around him and he could feel the entire front of her body pressed against his back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Puck knew that under different circumstances, he would be incredibly turned on right now. However, in the front of his mind, he knew that Rachel's presence was meant for comfort, so that was what he felt. And so, Puck did something then that he'd never done before in front of anyone. He cried. Although she couldn't see him and although he didn't speak to her, he knew that she knew he was crying.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Puck had turned to face Rachel and so in the morning hours, they were sleeping face-to-face, their bodies not touching, but their hands intertwined on the piece of mattress between them. Both awoke at the same time, likely due to the sounds of Puck's mother's car pulling into the driveway. They remained silent with eyes fixated on each other and the seeming loss of their ability to breathe. Suddenly, the moment was broken by the voice of Puck's mother downstairs. Rachel quickly jumped out of Puck's bed and went into his sister's room to make herself presentable before Puck's mother came upstairs. However, Puck's mother didn't seem to care that Rachel had stayed overnight or that she was currently wearing a pair of Puck's boxers and his t-shirt. Mrs. Puckerman updated the both of them on Sarah's condition and once Puck heard he could visit Sarah this morning, he dashed upstairs to get ready. Rachel decided to leave while he was upstairs, partly because she was worried there would be awkwardness due to their sleeping arrangements the previous night. When Puck came back downstairs, he was surprised to see that she had left.

"Where's Rachel?"

"Oh, she had to go home, sweetie. That was nice of her to stay and keep you company last night."

"Yea, it was…"

For a brief moment, Puck's mind raced with thoughts about what was happening with Rachel and how that unfamiliar emotion he felt around Rachel could be classified; however, his mind was quickly rerouted to thoughts of his sister and he and his mother rushed off to the hospital.

After Rachel drove home, she sat in her car in the driveway, distracted by thoughts of this situation with Puck. When she went into his room last night, she solely wanted to provide him support and comfort. But when they woke up this morning facing each other with clasped hands, she was so overcome with feeling that she could barely breathe. She realized that she was beginning to get to a place where she couldn't picture life without Noah.

"Rachel, sweetie, are you okay?"

"Daddy, hi! Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Why are you just sitting in your car?"

"Just lost in thought."

"How are your friend and his sister?"

"The doctor says she's going to be okay. Thanks for letting me stay over there last night."

"Of course, sweetie, your friend needed you. Come on inside; it's freezing out here."

"Okay, daddy..."


	13. Chapter 13

Final chapter will be up soon...I know what it's going to be about, just have to write it.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Puck and Rachel settled into a routine. They continued work on their paper, but focused most of their attention on the dance that they would be performing. Upon Rachel's request, Finn, Quinn, Kurt, and Tina had agreed to learn the dance and participate in the performance. Puck came to realize during their rehearsals (as Rachel insisted on calling them) that Tina and Kurt were actually pretty cool, even if Tina was still a little scared of him. Meanwhile, Quinn took these rehearsals as additional opportunities to observe the relationship between Rachel and Puck. Rachel had admitted to her that she had spent the night at Puck's house sleeping in his sister's bedroom, but Quinn had a feeling that this wasn't the entire story. Therefore, Quinn decided to take another route and focus her attention on Puck. However, since she couldn't confront him directly, she got more creative. One day when Rachel was running late, Quinn started talking with Finn about guys that she wanted to set Rachel up with. When Puck came nearby, she tried to bring him into the conversation.

"Puck, I'm trying to think of someone to set Rachel up with. Don't you think that Robert Arrington would be an excellent match for her?"

"Hell no! I mean, Berry doesn't need a date…why are you trying to set her up?"

"I'm her friend! That's what we do for our single friends. Unless you think perhaps she already has her eye on someone…"

"Whatever, Quinn, do what you want to do", Puck stated with annoyance as he stalked off.

"Oh yea, I am so right about this", Quinn said to Finn.

When the day of the dance performance finally arrived, their teacher was highly impressed.

"I have to say, I doubted that this partnership would work, but your paper was excellent and the dance today was exactly what I was looking for in terms of the creative component of the assignment. Congratulations. Oh, and Mr. Puckerman, this will be enough for you to obtain a B- in this class."

"Thank you so much", squealed Rachel.

When the teacher walked away, she flung her arms around Puck in a hug.

"We did it, Noah!"

"Yea, we did, didn't we, Berry? You need a ride home later?"

"That would be lovely, Noah, thank you."

After the night of his sister's accident, Rachel had come to realize that she was falling for Puck. She realized that waking up with Puck was the single most intimate moment she had ever experienced. She knew that she had a decision to make: move past her feelings or settle for having something casual with Puck that could potentially evolve into something else. Over the past few months, she noticed that Puck demonstrated care for her, but she knew that Puck didn't have 'relationships'. However, she knew for certain that Puck liked sex, so she planned to engage in sexual activities with the hope that he could grow to feel for her what she felt for him. She considered it to be an ingenious plan, but she had unfortunately underestimated Puck's level of feelings for her.

As the two walked through the empty hallways later that afternoon, Rachel decided that it was time to enact her plan. She was having doubts because she knew that it would be difficult to be sexual with him when what she really wanted was to be intimate with him, but she figured it was better than being _nothing_ with him.

"Well, I, um, guess this is the end to our working together, huh?"

"Yes it is, Noah. I'll miss working with you." _It's now or never…_

With that thought in her mind, Rachel flung herself at Puck until she was practically pinning him against the lockers and kissed him with everything she had. Naturally, he kissed back eagerly, though he was confused as to her sudden 'attack' of him. He finally admitted to himself recently how much he cared for Rachel. He had decided that he was going to pursue her romantically, so he was caught off guard when she skipped over the typical courtship rituals (_because Berry would totally call them that_) and threw herself at him. When Rachel grabbed his hand and ran it under her skirt and up her thigh, he realized that something felt 'off' about this. It was incredibly hot and he was totally into it, but it almost felt like she was trying to convince herself of something by kissing him. And so, for the first time in his life, Puck decided to do the gentlemanly thing and find out why exactly it was that she was trying so hard to get herself into this before things got farther than he knew she would want them to. Needless to say, this was hard to do when she was kissing his neck like that.

"Wait, Rach, hold on", he said breathlessly.

Rachel pulled back and the only way to describe the look on her face would be defeat.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, Noah. I thought that…I just thought something… and I was clearly wrong. Can you please just forget this happened? I'm going to get a ride with Kurt. I saw him a few minutes ago so I know he's still in the parking lot."

Before Puck could even get out a word in protest, she had sped off down the hallway. He ran after her just in time to see Kurt pulling out of the parking with Rachel in the passenger seat. _Shit, what the hell just happened?_

Puck called Rachel 17 times over the weekend, but her phone always went straight to voicemail. On Monday, she successfully avoided him in the hallway and refused to even make eye contact with him during their classes together. So, finally on Monday afternoon, he realized he was going to have to do something he really didn't want to do: ask Quinn for help.

"Quinn, I need your help. Something happened with Rachel and now's she avoiding me and that makes it really difficult to try to get her to date me."

Quinn just smiled. "Ah, finally! Sorry…I'm just happy that you two finally figured out your feelings for each other. I've had the entire Glee club on standby since Rachel called me crying on Friday night, but wouldn't tell me why. I think I've got a plan, but we've got to get Mr. Schuester on board."

Quinn pulled out her cell phone. "Kurt, it's time. Get the phone tree started and tell everyone that we'll be meeting at my house at 6pm tonight."

Puck stared wide-eyed at Quinn as he realized that she had probably started devising this plan before he even knew he had feelings for Rachel. _What have I gotten myself into? Berry better be worth it. Shit, what am I saying, she's totally worth it._


	14. Chapter 14

Final chapter, everyone. Thanks for tuning in!

* * *

As Puck sat in the middle of Quinn's living room that evening, he wondered what he had gotten himself into. The entire Glee club was there, all eagerly working with Quinn on 'Operation Get Rachel to Give Puck a Chance'. Considering it took them 20 minutes to come up with that name, Puck was beginning to doubt their ability to help. However, he couldn't help but feel grateful that everyone was being so nice to him considering his past treatment of them. The next morning, as per the plan, they all arrived early at school to convince Mr. Schuester to help them with the execution. Naturally, Quinn took the lead in convincing him to assist with their plan.

"Mr. Schue, we have something very important to discuss with you. We think that a change should be made to one of the songs at our concert on Thursday evening."

"The concert is in two days! Do you really think a change is the best idea?"

"It is of the utmost importance, Mr. Schue. It's for love!"

"Okay, well tell me what's going on and why this is so important?"

"We think that Puck should replace Finn on the duet with Rachel."

"Puck isn't even Glee!"

"Yes, I know that, but this is the only way that Rachel will listen to him!"

"Okay, okay, but can you even sing?", Mr. Schuester asked of Puck.

As this question had been anticipated, Puck had his acoustic guitar and a song ready.

_Yes, I understand that every life must end  
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go  
Oh I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands the ones I love  
Some folks just have one, yeah, others, they've got none  
Stay with me...  
Let's just breathe…_

"Wow, alright, Puck is in."

The rest of the week, Rachel continued to ignore and avoid Puck. Puck tried to talk to her, but whenever he managed to make eye contact with her, she just looked so humiliated. He realized that perhaps Quinn was right and that the only way to get her to listen to him would be through music. He spent every available moment learning the song and the dance steps. When Thursday night finally came, the Glee members actively worked to prevent Rachel from realizing he was backstage. The duet was to be the final performance of the evening. The original choreography had called for Finn and Rachel to begin the duet while standing together at the front of the ensemble. However, a last-minute choreography change would have Rachel starting the song and Finn (or so she thought) walking out to join her on stage later.

_I don't know but I think I maybe falling for you  
Dropping so quickly  
Maybe I should keep this to myself  
Waiting 'til I know you better  
I am trying not to tell you, but I want to_

Rachel couldn't help but feel sad as she was singing these lyrics alone on stage. She hadn't realized it until this moment but it described exactly how she had been feeling about Noah. Then, of course, she went ahead and told him through her actions how she felt. Unfortunately, his feelings for her were so minimal that he didn't even want to make out with her. And he made out with _everyone_! When a male voice began the next part, Rachel was confused. It wasn't Finn…or any of the other guys for that matter…, though he was quite talented.

_I'm scared of what you'll say, so I'm hiding what I'm feeling  
But I'm tired of holding this inside my head_

Rachel craned her head back slightly, but no so much as to disturb the choreography and ruin the performance; she was a professional after all. She couldn't see him, even when their voices joined together for the next part.

_I've been spending all my time just thinking about you  
I don't know what to do  
I think I'm falling for you  
_

Suddenly, Noah emerged from the shadows and sang right to her. She thought to herself that it was no wonder that their voices had blended together so beautifully.

_I've been waiting all my life and now I found you  
I don't know what to do  
I think I'm falling for you  
I'm falling for you...  
_

Rachel realized then that Noah was feeling exactly the same way about her that she was feeling about him. She began to sing right back to him and then they joined together in the choreographed dance.

_As I'm standing here  
And you hold my hand  
Pull me towards you  
and we start to dance  
All around us, I see nobody  
Here in silence, it's just you and me  
I'm trying not to tell you, but I want to..  
I'm scared of what you'll say  
So I'm hiding what I'm feeling  
But I'm tired of holding this inside my head  
_

As the rest of the Glee members stepped forward to continue the song, Rachel and Puck faded into the background of the stage.

"Rachel…"

"Yes, Noah?"

"Um, I sort of fell for you."

"Of course you did. I never doubted it for a moment."

"Mm hmm, sure you didn't, Berry."

"Well, just for a moment. I suppose I fell for you also."

"Of course you did; I'm a stud!"

Then, Rachel and Puck stepped forward for the grand finale of their song…

_I think I'm falling for you  
I can't stop thinking about it  
I want you all around me  
And now I just can't hide it  
I think I'm falling for you  
I can't stop thinking about it  
I want you all around me  
And now I just can't hide it  
I think I'm falling for you  
I'm falling for you…_

…and punctuated it with a kiss.

Afterwards, Mr. Schuester rushed over.

"Amazing job, everyone. And, I must say, the duet was spectacular! Puck, you really should become a regular member of Glee."

"Ah, Mr. S., I don't know, it's not really my thing."

Naturally, Rachel interrupted. "Please, Noah. We could have so much fun together."

It was in that moment that Puck realized how dangerous those big, brown eyes were. He was going to end up wrapped around her little finger…

"Okay, fine. I'm in."

As Rachel pulled him in for a kiss, everyone else wandered off congratulating themselves for both their singing and matchmaking success. Suddenly, Rachel grabbed Puck's hand and started walking.

"Um, Berry, where are you leading me?"

"Well, Noah, if you must know, this auditorium has walkways above the stage."

"And…?"

Rachel turned back to look over her shoulder seductively. "Ever made out 25 feet in the air?"

Puck groaned appreciatively. "Oh, Berry, I like the way you think…"

**A/N**: Please keep an eye out in a few days for my new story, Chasing Juilliard.


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